About image
NGC 3718 in Ursa Major is classified like a peculiar barred spiral galaxy: indeed its shape is more complex, due to the interaction with the companion galaxy NGC 3729 visible on the bottom side of the image.
Both galaxies are located at a distance of about 49 million light years, and the distance between them is only 185000 light years.
To be noted in NGC 3718 the very evident dust lane crossing the central regions.
On the right of NGC 3718 is visible a group of galaxies, catalogued as Hickson 56: their estimate distance is about 400 million light years.
Technical data
Optic GSO RC12 Truss - Aperture
304mm, focal lenght 2432mm, f/8
Mount 10Micron GM2000 HPSII
Camera ZWO ASI 2600 MM Pro with filter wheel 7 positions
Filters Astrodon Gen2
E-Serie Tru-Balance 50mm unmounted LRGB
Guiding system ZWO OAG-L with guide camera ASI 174MM
Exposure details L 50x300" bin3 -15C
R 16x300" bin3 -15C
G 16x300" bin3 -15C
B 16x300" bin3 -15C
all gain 100
Total integration 8h10'
Acquisition Voyager, PHD2
Processing Pixinsight 1.8,
Photoshop CS5, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, BlurXTerminator
SQM-L 21.00
Location Promiod (Aosta
Valley, Italy), own remote observatory
Date 18 December 2023, 12/13 January 2024